Westerford Newsletter 5 (15 February 2018) WESTERFORD HIGH SCHOOL Newsletter 5 15 February 2018 MUSIC DEPARTMENT: Junior Schools tours kick off at Kirstenhoff OUTDOOR CLUB HIKE On Friday, Outdoor Club hosted their first hike of the year; numerous juniors attended, getting involved in an activity at Westerford for the first time. The group started at the top gate of Kirstenbosch and enjoyed a scenic walk through the grounds to the start of the Nursery Ravine trail. After hiking along the major path for a while they turned off to a lesser-used path and ended at the breathtaking Rooikat Waterfall. Well done to Outdoor for organising such a stunning and successful event; many are looking forward to the next one with baited breath! Hannah McDougall, Grade 12 1 Westerford Newsletter 5 (15 February 2018) WESTERFORD HIGH SCHOOL THE DECEMBER TRIP TO CHINA On 5 December 2017, a party of four – Mr Jamy Li, our Mandarin teacher, Mr Patrick Jordi, Mrs Anne McLaren and her husband Mr Bernard Geldenhuys – left on a ten day visit to China that took in the cities of Beijing, Xi’an and Tianjin. The primary purpose of this adventure was to attend the 12th Annual Confucius Institute Conference, an international gathering of Mandarin educators hosted in the ancient capital of Xi’an. The trip to China allowed too for some sightseeing, the opportunity to connect with Mr Qi (a former Westerford Mandarin teacher) and for Mr Li to catch up with friends and family. Arriving in Beijing, we felt at once the impact of this vast city: its heavy traffic, numerous apartment blocks and thousands of bicycles. The city is a fascinating mix of old and new, and of East and West. Highlights included visits to the Forbidden City, the Summer Palace and the Great Wall of China, as well as a delicious meal at a hotpot restaurant and a dinner that included Peking Duck. From here we caught an overnight train to Xi’an, where the secrets of China continued to unfold, with visits to the Giant Wild Goose Pagoda (a seventh century site of Chinese Buddhism), the Terra Cotta Warriors, and a large theme park known as Tang Paradise. Our stay in Xi’an included a wonderful afternoon of cycling along the city wall and a night trip to the Muslim food market. The Conference itself was an eye-opener, considering the large number of delegates and the international nature of the event. It was intriguing to see first-hand the widespread interest in Mandarin, with young people from all over learning the language and pursuing careers as interpreters or translators. A young woman from the University of Khartoum dazzled the delegates with her impressive fluency. A high speed train conveyed us to our next destination, Tianjin, where we were hosted at the Tianjin Foreign Language School. Courtesy of Mr Qi, we enjoyed a tour of the school as well as visits to classes and extramural activities. (Thanks to Mrs McLaren and Mr Jordi, there are some Chinese teens now familiar with the artwork of the Khoisan and with a smattering of South African English.) A high speed train back to Beijing, a drive to the cavernous airport, and soon we were heading back to South Africa. Back in Cape Town, I found myself with plenty of photos to upload onto Instagram, a collection of contemporary Chinese short stories to tide me into the new year, and many vivid, pleasant memories. On behalf of those of us treated to this wonderful trip, many thanks to Westerford and the Confucius Institute for making it possible. Patrick Jordi 2 Westerford Newsletter 5 (15 February 2018) WESTERFORD HIGH SCHOOL MATRIC BARN DANCE On Thursday night 8 February, visitors to the school might have been surprised to hear howls of laughter and enthusiastic cheering from the direction of the Noel Taylor Hall. However, this isn’t unusual for … it was the annual Matric Barn Dance. The Matric Barn Dance is always an event to look forward to and this year was no exception. At 7 o’clock, the matrics arrived in the hall all sporting flannel, hats and other elements of cowboy attire. After being welcomed by our enthusiastic instructors, the evening begun. After mastering a relatively simple line dance, our embarrassment melted away and everyone (including the teachers!) embraced the dance moves and rhythmic music. The energetic dances left the whole grade exhausted and this left us scrambling for the many delicious snacks and the cold-drinks that were available during the break. The evening ended with awards being given to the Best Dancers, the Best Dressed matrics and the “You Tried” award – given to Saskia Welz and Thomas Meys for their fervent dance moves. Thank you to Sam Carletti and Alex Arendse for organising the Barn Dance – it was a night which everyone will remember! Hannah McDougall, Grade 12 WE KNOW YOU HAVE A HEART! South Africa is in desperate need of more regular blood donors. Less than 1% of the population donates regularly, yet an estimated 8 out of 10 people will need to receive blood at some point during their lives. The WP Blood Transfusion Service will be holding its next Blood Drive at Westerford High School on Wednesday, 28 February. All parents and relatives are encouraged to come along to the Noel Taylor Hall and donate any time between 11:00 and 14:30. Blood donation is a quick and easy way to make a significant difference in someone else’s life. Your support would be greatly appreciated! If you are unsure as to whether or not you are eligible to donate, visit www.wpblood.org.za for more information. Jenna Schultz, Grade 12 3 Westerford Newsletter 5 (15 February 2018) WESTERFORD HIGH SCHOOL MEET THE MAROONS This week we present the first in a series of interviews with members of our Westerford community. We’ll be chatting with pupils - of different grades - with teachers, grounds staff members, admin staff, sport coaches. We hope you enjoy getting to know who is who in our Westie Zoo ☺ This week we’re catching up with Jeremy Treagus (Grade 11) to hear a few thoughts and reflections after his first few weeks at Westerford. Jeremy moved to WHS from St. Andrew’s College, Grahamstown at the beginning of the year. 1. What was your first impression of Westerford? And how did this differ from your initial expectations? The first impression I got was that everyone was much nicer and far friendlier than I had expected. Having come from a school where money, and flashy brands were such an integral part of the culture among pupils, it was a pleasant surprise to see how non-materialistic Westerfordians seem to be. 2. So far, what is your favourite Westerfordian quirk (slang/joke/tradition/etc.)? Hmm… I suppose I’d have to say the school body’s continuous fascination with communism. Mostly because I don’t really understand it. Is there a reason there are so many Soviet flags around? (ED: for those who weren’t there said flags were waved merrily by two clubs at the recent cultural launch) 3. If you could change anything/introduce something new to the school, what would it be? I’m not too sure yet. Being able to sit on chairs during assemblies would be nice. 4. What do you think makes Westerford special, and how was it different from your last school? I came from a school with a lot of traditions, some of which weren’t necessarily good but were being kept just for the sake of tradition. But here, I feel as though the school functions more practically and has a lot of the adaptability required to affect positive change in our modern society. 5. Which club or society seems the most interesting? Bonne Cuisine, without a doubt. I haven’t really engaged with that many societies so far, but Bonne Cuisine’s Cultural Launch skit involved cookies. So I’m a fan. 6. Do you have any tips for fending off “Day Zero”? I think that mindset is a big part of any important situations. In the long term, I think the way that we, as a society, think about water needs to change a bit. We need to be active, not anxious about these issues. Nadia Odendaal, Grade 11 4 Westerford Newsletter 5 (15 February 2018) WESTERFORD HIGH SCHOOL February dates Thurs 22 Grade 10 Braai Mon 26 Grade 8 Braai Wed 28 Blood Clinic Dates for March Thurs 1 FOUNDERS DAY Fri - Sun 2 - 4 CU Camp Mon 5 Mental Health week Tues 6 1st Quarterly Concert 19h30 Wed 14 Maths Olympiad Round 1 Wed 21 Human Rights Day Fri - Tues 23 - 27 “School of Rock” Production Mon - Wed 26 - 28 Grade 8 Camp Wed 28 School closes Fri 30 Easter weekend - Good Friday Please remember to download the d6 Communicator - use this link http://d6.co.za/education/downloads/ 5 Westerford Newsletter 5 (15 February 2018) WESTERFORD HIGH TUTORING English (grades 8-12 Afrikaans ( grades 8-10) Maths (grades 8-9) I am a Second year student (female) ♦20 years of age ♦Matriculated from Westerford High Currently studying at UCT. Distinctions earned in all subjects mentioned above. I am a friendly, motivated student happy to help with any of the current syllabus regarding the subjects mentioned above. I tutor in Rosebank, Cape Town in a safe, secure complex. Feel free to contact me (Caitlin Bowes) on: 0647652577 APPETITE CATERING prepares delicious food at reasonable prices for all types of private and corporate events and functions.